“These pedals deliver the rich, dynamic sound and performance you expect from Marshall”: Marshall makes a surprise play for the amp-in-a-box market, bringing authorized takes on Plexi, DSL and JCM amp tones to your pedalboard for the first time
NAMM 2025: Marshall has dropped a huge surprise by launching a new amp-in-a-box pedal line, bringing the classic sounds of Marshall amps to the hearts of pedalboards, in its new Overdrive pedals series.
Marshall-flavored amp-in-a-box pedals have been on the market for years, but have always come from third-party brands looking to replicate the magic of its beloved tube amps and all-valve creations.
Crazy Tube Circuits’ Heatseeker and Universal Audio’s Lion pedals are recent examples. However, this is the first time the brand has delivered stompable versions of its amp heads.
The British amp builders had teased the pedal’s release earlier this week, with many – Guitar World included – expecting a revamp of its pre-existing overdrive pedal line, so the news has come as a very pleasant surprise. And it’s proof that Marshall intends to mark its first NAMM in five years with a bang.
The new line features a quintet of analog overdrive pedals – consisting of The 1959, DSL, JCM800, JCM900, and JVM – all housed in gold and black casings to ooze that quintessential Marshall quality, albeit with a sleek modern lacquer.
There are four “tactile rotary knobs,” atop each pedal, with Gain, Volume, and Tone universal controls across (almost all) the batch, while one dial changes functionality depending on the amp.
For instance, it provides a Sensitivty control for “enhanced playing flexibility,” on the JCM800 and a Contour control for precise shaping of mid-range frequencies on the JCM900. There are also illuminated footswitches to make it easy to see when the pedals are engaged.
First up, The 1959 aims to deliver the most accurate and unparalleled rendition of the iconic 1959 Plexi, an amp used and abused by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, and, more recently Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil, among many, many others.
Each dial is said to “mirror the intuitive functionality of its amp counterpart”. As such, its controls are a little different from the rest, offering the tweaking of High Treble, Normal, Tone, and Volume.
Bringing the Dual Super Lead’s “raw, focused tone, power, and clarity,” into a compact form, the DSL offers controls for Gain, Deep, Tone, and Volume and is sonically “unmistakable”.
Then there are the two JCM siblings – the aggressive and sustain-laden rock and metal ‘80s favorite JCM800, and the higher-gain reinterpretation of the amp that defined the next decade of riffs. Both promising to “bring fresh sonic possibilities with Marshall’s legacy of iconic tone at your command.”
Lastly, the JVM features a Gate dial to help tame its “stadium-filling sound and unparalleled power”. However, like the amp it’s modeled off, it can dish out subtle overdrives too, when thunderous riffs and soaring solos need not apply.
Marshall hopes the reformatting of its classic amps will become indispensable tools for musicians on stage and in the studio. They each suck up the standard 9V of power, making pedalboard integration a doddle, feature a straightforward jack input and output, and benefit from true bypass.
There’s also the option of battery power, with each pedal lasting at least 25 hours, with the JCM800 crowned the endurance king thanks to its 35-hour battery life.
“These pedals are a tribute to Marshall’s storied heritage, blending timeless sound with contemporary convenience,” says Marshall. “By paying homage to the iconic amps that have influenced countless musicians, these pedals deliver the rich, dynamic sound and performance you expect from Marshall.”
Marshall’s CEO Jeremy De Maillard (who took over in 2023) had teased blockbuster releases at NAMM 2025, and last year told Guitar World that he accepted its recent product offering has not been appealing to the modern player.
“We don’t have all of the products that the guitarist today expects of us, when it comes to digital amplifiers, or digital products, in general,” he told GW. “And here we are over-investing as well, to be fair, to catch up. We’ve been behind and now we want to catch up.”
This certainly seems to be evidence of that promise coming to pass. and it turns the heat up a little on the competition from smaller brands that have seemingly been eating Marshall’s lunch for some time.
Each pedal is priced at $149 apiece, keeping it in line with the competitors it is now looking to out-muscle.
Head to Marshall for more information.
